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To start with loose leaf tea you need three things: something to brew in, something to catch the leaf, and a tea you already know. You do not need scales, a thermometer or a new teapot. The simplest kit is a strainer and the loose version of the blend that is already in your cupboard as bags.
What goes in the kit
- A strainer: the Tunta Bamboo Tea Strainer, woven by hand in Thailand.
- A familiar strong blend: Yorkshire Tea Original Loose Leaf Tea, 250g.
- A second familiar blend: PG Tips Original Loose Leaf Tea, 250g.
- A smaller box to try: Twinings English Breakfast Loose Tea, 125g.
You do not need all three teas. Pick the one whose bags you already drink, so you can taste what the change of method does. If you want a wider comparison first, see best loose leaf tea UK.
The starter kit
One bamboo strainer and three loose breakfast blends you will recognise from the tea bag aisle.
Tunta Bamboo Tea Strainer, Handmade in Thailand
Yorkshire Tea Original Loose Leaf Tea, 250g
PG Tips Original Loose Leaf Tea, 250g
Twinings English Breakfast Loose Tea, 125g
Autumn Sale prices shown. The sale ends on 24 December.
These are products sold by teas.co.uk. Every order includes a free tea sample, and UK delivery is free over £35. Check each product page for the latest price, availability and pack information.
The strainer
A strainer sits over the cup and catches the leaf as you pour. That lets the tea brew loose in the pot with room to move, which is the point of going loose in the first place. Yorkshire Tea makes the same case for the teapot: it gives the leaves lots of room to brew, and you strain as you pour.
One caution from the same guide. Yorkshire Tea says its leaf is small, so the holes in whatever you strain with need to be fine or some leaf will get through. If a few specks reach the cup, let it stand a moment and they sink.
An infuser, where the leaf sits inside a basket or ball in the cup, is the other route. We set out the difference in tea strainer vs infuser, and there is a page on the Tunta bamboo strainers themselves. Both of ours are on the teaware shelf.
Three familiar blends
Yorkshire Tea Original Loose Leaf. The maker's guide gives one teaspoon of tea per person, plus one extra for the pot when you are making several cups, and 4 to 5 minutes of brewing. It suggests a splash of semi-skimmed or whole milk. More in our Yorkshire Tea loose leaf guide.
PG Tips Original Loose Leaf. The loose version of the PG Tips blend, in the same 250g size. Follow the quantities on the pack. Background is in PG Tips loose leaf.
Twinings English Breakfast Loose Tea. Twinings lists it as 100% black tea and gives one teaspoon per cup, brewed for two to three minutes, with a splash of milk. At 125g it is the smallest of the three, which suits a first try.
Your first pot
- Fill the kettle with fresh water and boil it once. Yorkshire Tea's advice is to run the tap briefly first and not to reboil.
- Spoon the tea into a pot or a heatproof jug, using the quantity for your blend in the table below.
- Pour on the boiling water and leave it for the time given.
- Rest the strainer on the cup and pour through it.
- Add milk if you take it.
That is the whole method. Our longer walk-through is how to start drinking loose leaf tea.
Quantities and times at a glance
| Blend | Pack | Leaf | Brewing time | Whose guidance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yorkshire Tea Original Loose Leaf Tea | 250g | 1 teaspoon per person, plus 1 for the pot | 4 to 5 minutes | Yorkshire Tea |
| Twinings English Breakfast Loose Tea | 125g | 1 teaspoon per cup | 2 to 3 minutes | Twinings |
| PG Tips Original Loose Leaf Tea | 250g | See the pack | See the pack | The pack |
After the first box
Once the method is routine, change one thing at a time. A second breakfast blend, a flavoured black tea or a green tea each use the same strainer. Twinings gives the same teaspoon per cup and two to three minutes for its loose Earl Grey.
Keep opened leaf in a closed tin or jar, away from light and strong smells. Our guide on how to store loose leaf tea has more, and is loose leaf cheaper than tea bags does the sums on cost per cup. Everything loose we stock is on the loose leaf shelf.
Your second box of leaf
Another breakfast blend, a loose Earl Grey, an Assam and a loose green tea, all brewed with the same strainer.
Yorkshire Tea Gold Blend Loose Leaf Tea, 250g
Twinings Loose Leaf Earl Grey Tea, 125g
Twinings Assam Loose Tea, 125g
Dilmah Ceylon Pure Green Loose Leaf Tea, 100g
Autumn Sale prices shown. The sale ends on 24 December.
These are products sold by teas.co.uk. Every order includes a free tea sample, and UK delivery is free over £35. Check each product page for the latest price, availability and pack information.
Common questions
Do I need a teapot for loose leaf tea?
No. Any heatproof jug or a second mug will do, as long as you pour through a strainer. A pot is simply the tidiest way to brew for more than one person.
Is loose leaf stronger than tea bags?
Strength depends on how much leaf you use and how long you leave it, not on whether it is loose. We compare the two in loose leaf vs tea bags.
Which loose tea should a beginner start with?
The loose version of the bags you already drink. You know how it should taste, so you can judge the method.
Something for the saucer
A pot of tea for two wants a biscuit beside it.
Border Classic Biscuit Sharing Pack, 400g
Border Lemon Drizzle Melts Organic Biscuits, 150g
Border Milk Chocolate Viennese Whirls, 150g
Autumn Sale prices shown. The sale ends on 24 December.
These are products sold by teas.co.uk. Every order includes a free tea sample, and UK delivery is free over £35. Check each product page for the latest price, availability and pack information.
Reference noted
Quantities and timings were checked on 13 November 2026 against Yorkshire Tea's guide to making loose leaf tea and the Twinings listings for English Breakfast 125g Loose Tea and Earl Grey 125g Loose Tea.
More from the tea wiki
- One Cup Tea Brewing: Loose Leaf Without a Pot
- Twinings Loose Leaf Earl Grey: Brewing Earl Grey in a Pot
- Twinings English Breakfast Loose Tea: Leaf Versus Bag
- Best loose leaf tea UK
- Loose Leaf vs Tea Bags
- Is Loose Leaf Cheaper Than Tea Bags? The Maths
- Yorkshire Tea Loose Leaf: Dose, Pot and Strainer
- Tea Strainer vs Infuser: Give the Leaf Room
- How to Store Loose Leaf Tea
- The whole Tea Wiki, A to Z
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